Electric-Car Maker Tesla Is The Highest-Trending Car Brand On Google

For any new company, creating recognition of its product and its branding is one of the most difficult things to achieve.

If internet search terms are to be believed--and as a mark of how much people are trying to find out about something, they're pretty important--Tesla Motors has certainly created that recognition.

In fact, according to Google's latest round of 2013 statistics (via InAutoNews), Tesla is the highest-trending car brand in the U.S--beating some huge companies in the process.

Trending relates to search topics with the largest increase in search volume since the previous period. It's no surprise to see Tesla so high up in such a search--from excellent reviews of its Model S electric car to rather less excellent news of debris-related fires, the automaker has made headlines more than most in 2013.

It must be said, huge volumes of search traffic are absolutely no indication of popularity or indeed sales.

For proof of this, you need look no further than the automobile company sitting in second place for U.S. Google trending search terms: Bugatti. We doubt the supercar maker has sold many more Veyrons on the back of a few Google searches.

But it is a highly-recognizable brand with a massive buzz behind it, and Tesla Motors has clearly done likewise. You don't become a Google most-searched term if just a hardcore of electric car advocates or investors are searching for information.

Falling below Tesla and Bugatti you'll find MINI, Ford and Jeep, while Toyota, GMC, Dodge, Subaru and Mazda round out the top ten.

Tesla is also a high-trending search term for stocks information, its TSLA designation falling just behind Facebook and ahead of Twitter and Google.

For individual cars, it's a different story. The 2014 Chevrolet Volt is the highest-trending car of 2013, followed by the new Acura NSX and Fiat's 500. The Volt unsurprisingly tops the list of highest trending green cars too, though highest searched-for overall is the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.